


Eliza in Reaperland

by FuryOfTheBlackbird



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Demons, Gen, Grim Reapers, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Mysterious New Evil, Original Character(s), Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, POV Original Female Character, Shinigami, World Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-22
Updated: 2016-02-09
Packaged: 2018-03-14 13:24:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 19,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3412223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FuryOfTheBlackbird/pseuds/FuryOfTheBlackbird
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A modern day Black Butler fan gets the shock of her life when she somehow finds herself in the realm of the reapers. She quickly realizes though that this world was not exactly as she'd always dreamed. A new evil is on the rise and nobody is safe anymore, demons, humans and reapers alike. But nobody knows how to stop it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Falling

**Author's Note:**

> Eliza in Reaperland is NOT a self-insert fic, nor is it your typical girl falling into kuroverse story. Eliza in Reaperland, while unintentionally so, is in fact a direct contradiction of these clichés. Now that that's out of the way, enjoy the story, and don't forget to leave me a comment. :)

I was falling. Everything was darkness. I could see nothing to help me gauge exactly how fast I was falling. I just knew I was falling. I didn't know how it was even possible for one to simply fall through perfectly solid ground. But here I was, waiting for the ground to rush up and smash my head in. I'd been falling so long, I was past the initial fear completely, and was almost at the point of boredom. That was when it hit me. No, literally, something hit me, and it was not the ground.

"Excuse me…Miss?" The voice was muffled and almost… familiar in a way. I could have sworn I heard it somewhere before.

"She's not moving. Is she on the death list?" Wait… what the hell? Death list? Am I… nah, that would just be silly, not to mention impossible.

"No, she is not." Yet another familiar voice said.

"Are you sure William dear? She looks very… dead. And my what on earth is she wearing?" So there was a guy called William, and a guy doing a _very_ good impression of a girl… Either this was a really good prank, or I was finally going insane.

"Ok, but dead or not can you _please_ get her off me?" Then I realized the muffled voice, seemed to be coming from under me. Then I realized whatever I was on was _moving_ , and what I was on top of was-

"Ah! A person!" I leaped from the ground as fast as my disoriented body would allow me. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry Ronald are you Ok?" The words popped out, before I realized what kind of situation I was in. Even though I had spent more than a year fangirling over him and the other reapers of Black Butler, none of them had the foggiest clue that I existed until just now, and I literally just dropped from the sky.

"You… know who I am?" Ronald brushed the dust from his black suit and gave me a very strange look.

"I'm sorry." I squeaked. "I must have mistaken you for someone else."

"Well then," He laughed, which was the opposite of what I expected. "Other than the whole part where you crushed me, it was nice meeting you, I'm Ronald Knox." He smiled a cute teenager smile and extended a hand in greeting. I hesitated briefly before shaking his hand, wondering again, if this was all some kind of elaborate joke. Though I smiled pleasantly in return, I couldn't help but notice the strange lack of heat in his hand.

"I'm Elizabeth Bates, but please call me Eliza."

"Knox, it's time we return to the office." William glanced at his pocket watch.

"Sorry Boss." Ronald said. "Hey, I've got to go; maybe I'll see you around sometime."

"She's coming with us." William said.

"Pardon?" I gulped.

"Sir we don't-" But Ronald's protests were immediately squashed.

"Quiet." He grabbed my arm in a neither rough nor gentle manner, and pulled me along as we walked through the crowded streets of London. It was a strange feeling to glide through the bustling crowd with ease, like shadows, like we weren't even there...

"Where are we going?" I asked. William didn't answer.

"Close your eyes."

"Why?"

"Just do it." I squeezed them shut just as he told me. My hair and clothes fluttered in a brief breeze. All this, just seemed like a dream come true, to me, and it hadn't quite struck me yet, that all this was _real._ "You can open them now." William said, and I obeyed. We were standing on the stone pavilion by the lake. Shining, mirror like skyscrapers dominated the cloudless skyline, while on the cliffs stood the great library, a vast structure I was unable to compare to anything I'd ever seen. A couple ravens in a birch tree croaked at one another, ominously and the situation at hand was brought back to my attention. "The rest of you should be getting back to your duties." He ordered.

"Yes, boss."

"Anything for you William darling!" I saw his eyes follow them intently until he was sure they were gone. There was a sudden change in the strength of his grip, so that I was starting to lose circulation in my arm. His pace was unnaturally fast for a walk, and I could barely keep up without entangling my limbs.

"Hey! Let me go!" I cried, tugging and pulling at my arm, but it was clear that to him I could have been nothing more than a very persistent fruit fly, so I followed him tripping and cursing under my breath.

His office door slammed shut behind us. I didn't need to check to know it was locked.

"Who are you?" He demanded, his voice firm and commanding. This wasn't an interview, but an interrogation.

"Elizabeth Bates!" I answered as if a particularly strict teacher had called on me, with both fear and respect.

"Why are you here?"

"I don't know!" His death scythe hit the desk with a sharp crack. I jumped.

"I have no time for games." His hand moved dangerously to the trigger. "Answer my question."

"I really don't know!" What was left of the courage in my voice vanished. "How am I supposed to know when the ground decides it doesn't want to be the ground anymore but a hole to another dimension..." My sentence petered off, as I realized how utterly ridiculous it sounded. He stared at me for a while, his blank face showing no sign as to whether or not he thought I was crazy or not. I could feel his bright yellow-green eyes piercing through me, but somehow I felt they were doing more than just staring at me.

"Intriguing," He muttered as if to himself. "You do not seem to be lying, but none the less your situation is very suspicious." The change in his tone was sudden. It was hard exactly, to explain how an emotionless voice could change tones and still remain emotionless, but somehow William had managed it. "Take these." He handed me a typical female reaper uniform, which to my disgust included a skirt, not pants, and a nightdress. "Now then, I expect you've had a long day. I'll show you where you sleep."

He walked wordlessly as I padded along behind him, once again struggling to keep up. When the officer's housing block came into view, it struck me how brilliant his plan was. No isolation for me, he was going to take me where there were many experienced reapers there to watch over me. He knocked on an apartment door, and a glasses-less blond reaper still in his pajamas answered.

"Hello, boss." Ronald poked his head out from the door and squinted at us. "Oh, and it's Eliza right?"

"I'm here on business Ronald. I need you to keep an eye on this human girl." William said, before I could give an answer. I hated the tone of his voice when he spoke about me, like I wasn't worth his time. I wanted to punch his arrogant face into the next world, but instead I stood there smiling meekly.

"Sure thing, boss."

"Good." William said. "Make her feel… at home." And he walked away without another word to me, leaving Ronald and I standing awkwardly at the doorway.

"Don't worry about him; he always takes thing way too seriously." He said yawning. "I'm sure you're fine." His room was decorated much like a typical teenager's room would. There were posters of people I didn't recognize tacked up on the otherwise boring white walls. The lampshade was crooked and there were a couple of socks and ties sticking out of their drawers. On the top bunk was a pile of scrunched up sheets where he must have been sleeping when we arrived. "You can take the bottom bunk. I haven't had a roommate for a very long time." He waved a finger in the general direction of the bed, and yawned again. "Sorry, I've got to be in bed. Early start tomorrow."

I lay in on the bunk under a wrap of warm comforters, as cozy and comfortable as I could possibly be. Somehow though, sleep managed to elude me. There was a question running over and over in my mind, but part of the problem was I wasn't exactly sure if I wanted it answered.

"Ronald." I called into the darkened room. He grunted, so I assumed he was still awake. "You have access to the death list right?" Another grunt. "So you know how I die then." This time no grunt came. It was so long before I got a response, I thought he must have really been asleep the whole time.

"Ask any reaper, and normally they wouldn't give you answer, but in your case…" He sighed. "It's quite interesting really, because you don't die, not tomorrow not in a hundred or even a thousand years. I could go on, our list is very extensive.

"No way." I said quietly, more to myself than anyone.

"Yeah, that's what I thought too. Extremely odd, but lucky for you I guess. Being dead's no fun, especially when you've got William as a boss." If I wasn't on the reaper's death list, it could only mean two things. One, the least likely, was me not having a soul in to begin with, and two, the most likely but difficult to believe, being that I was not truly of their world. That meant I had traveled not only through time, but to a completely different universe than my own.


	2. The Blank Record

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Warning: There is a _slight_  amount of swearing in this one. Seriously, just one swear word. I usually try to avoid using profanity in my writing, so you won't see much more. Enjoy!**

When I woke up, Ronald was already gone, which came as no surprise to me. There was a note sitting on the dresser beside the crooked lamp, which read:

_Stay where you are! William will be there shortly to get you. Be ready when he comes. It sounds urgent, but then again, William always sounds urgent._

_-Ronald. K_

I slipped on the suit that William had given me the night before, which fit unnaturally well. I stuffed my hoodie and jeans in the drawer marked out for me. I started to feel I might be here for a while longer than expected. As I shut the drawer a glint of silver caught me eyes. I picked it up, unraveling the chain and watched the delicate silver heart dangle back and forth. He seemed to have missed it as he emptied out the drawer for me. I wondered briefly why such an object was hidden away in the depths of Ronald's dresser, but my thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. Hastily, I tucked the necklace into my coat pocket, and rushed to join William in the hallway. The necklace was temporarily driven from my mind.

* * *

The lobby of the Collections Department building was largely made of marble. The sound of our footsteps echoed infinitely throughout the room. It was so clean I could just about make out my own reflection. Hundreds of reapers could have come and gone easily without forming a crowd, but besides a young, dark haired woman at the front counter, there was no one. Her eyes lit up at the sight of us, and she waved cheerily.

"Good morning Mr. Spears!" She said, as we approached the counter.

"Thea." William gave her an acknowledging nod. "You usually work in General Affairs, am I correct?"

"Usually yes, but Kathleen retired, so I'm filling in until they find someone else." Thea sighed. I watched her eyes flit back and forth, as she spoke. She was visibly making an effort to not stare, which I wasn't sure made me feel any better. "I like General Affairs better though. This job is so boring. Anyways, the others are in meeting room one. Oh, and I almost forgot!" She disappeared behind the desk, presumably trying to find something.

"…William?" I whispered.

"Yes."

"Can they tell I'm… human?" William scoffed.

"Do you take us as fools?" He retorted. "We reapers can identify humans apart from our own easily." I frowned.

"Then why the hell am I disguised?"

"Did it ever occur to you that we are not trying to hide you from reapers?" His finger automatically went to his glasses. I was not going to lie; he was really starting to piss me off with his attitude.

"Your new pass, Mr. Spears." Thea handed him a small slip of paper. "Should be suitable for use with a guest. Have a nice day!" She smiled again, and waved as we departed. William didn't wave back, but she didn't seem disheartened by this. At first this confused me, but then I realized that William had probably treated her this way for a very long time. Such cheerfulness in the face of constant indifference, I couldn't deny that was impressive.

We made our way up several flights of stairs towards the conference room, which was a large rectangular room with a large table in the middle, which took up most of the room. On the table was a sprawling map of London with hundreds of little red pins stuck in it. Around it stood a small array of reapers, most of which I recognized from the day before.

"Slingby, Humphries," The tall blond reaper and the shorter brown haired reaper turned their attention at William.

"Boss." Eric responded.

"You'll be stationed in East London today."

"We've got it covered." Alan said.

"Knox, Sutcliff," This time William faced the blonde teen and tall red headed, erm… lady.

"Can't I go with you William darling?" Grell edged suggestively towards William.

"No." William responded with cold indifference towards his or her request.

"We make such a good couple though. Why not just this once?" Grell pouted.

"No." Grell did not retreat though. On the contrary, Grell flung himself at William.

"You're so cold William, but I can see in your heart you-" William jabbed Grell with the blunt end of his death scythe, not really bothered by how hard. With a pitiful squawk of pain, Grell once again retreated to Ronald's side. I fought down a fit of giggles that threatened to come out when I saw William's sour expression.

"The two of you will take Western London today."

"Ok, boss." Ronald gave Grell a couple hesitant pats on the back.

"Eliza, you're coming with me, we're stationed in Central London." This time I stifled a groan. The last thing I wanted to do was spend the day with this jackass. But then again, it didn't sound like I had a choice.

* * *

I'd watched many a horror movie in my life, and they had to be probably some of the goriest ever made, but nothing could have prepared me for today. We tended to a staggering number of deaths. Some were so horrifyingly gruesome, I felt the need to turn away or else be sick. The only bright side of it all was the fact that reapers were very prompt, so there was very little smell other than the coppery stench of thick blood.

"Are all of these going to be so…" My sentence trailed off as I searched for a suitable word to describe the horrors I'd seen. "Gruesome?" He blatantly ignored my question.

"Cause of death Unknown." His voice echoed softly in the alleyway along with the steady dripping of water from rusty pipes. "How interesting."

"What's so interesting?" My own voice echoed eerily along with his as we approached the body of a clearly dead person. Suddenly I knew what was so interesting. There was no blood, not a single drop, but more importantly:

"There are no memories, the cinematic record is blank, but the soul is still intact." He muttered. "This is not the work of a demon."

"I would step away from that body if I were you." It was a child's voice, only low and arrogant. I turned my back from the body already knowing whom I would see. The child was small, standing beside his tall and stoic butler in black. A no doubt finely made top hat perched on his head, a navy blue cloak hanging over his much too small body. Worst of all though was the black eye patch that covered his left eye, hiding the symbol of a demon's contract. Ciel Phantomhive, the Queen's Watchdog. It didn't take a genius to know this was going to get really ugly really fast. But, here I was, an unarmed human girl whose prospect of staying alive had just gone down dramatically.

"I would think not." There was a hint of bite in William's voice that was unlike anything I'd heard from him before. "You are intruding upon an official investigation being conducted by the Reaper Dispatch Association. I demand you cease and desist, or I will be required to use force."

"Well then, we've got a slight problem don't we?" Ciel responded. "I've been given orders by the Queen herself, to investigate a series of mysterious disappearances. It would seem you are the one intruding upon _our_ investigation."  
"You underestimate us, Phantomhive."

"Now do I?" Ciel cocked his head and gave us a dangerous smile. He stretched a finger towards his eye patch, and with a jerk he ripped it off to reveal his contracted eye. "I'm not making the same mistakes again. This is an order Sebastian, kill them." Wait… did he say… kill?

"Yes, my lord." The butler's gloves fluttered to the ground, revealing the glowing pentagram etched into his hand. His eyes flashed scarlet for a terrifying moment, and the butler attacked. I dove to the side just in time to dodge the steak knife aimed at my head, missing me by only a hair.

" _Shit._ " I breathed, somehow still alive. I glanced over my shoulder. William was standing not three meters away from Sebastian, gripping his death scythe ready to strike at any moment. His expression was that of the purest kind of loathing. I was fully aware of the animosity between reapers and demons, but the hatred in his eyes said there was something more than just that. This was personal. On the other hand however, Sebastian seemed to be alarmingly calm. His tailcoat lay discarded on the ground. His face broke into a peculiar smile, and he advanced several steps towards William.

"My, my, how little the tables have turned, and after so many years." Sebastian's voice was low and terrifyingly pleasant. "Nothing has changed has it… young master?" His last question was directed not at the child who stood watching with a blank face, but the grown reaper who now stood before him. His words made no sense to me, but the terror that flickered on William's face told me it made all too much sense to him. Several knives flew from Sebastian's hand. William hesitated for one moment too long, what Sebastian said still must have been reeling in his mind. One of them hooked onto the handle of William's death scythe with impossible precision, and flung it out of reach. The other, pierced him in the shoulder. A patch of red quickly formed around the wound. William gripped the knife by the handle, pulled it out and tossed it aside. His face was twisted into a grimace of pain. Sebastian's smile was more venomous than ever. He started towards the pruning pole lying idle on the ground. I knew what he was going to do. I needed to stop him, and fast. I rolled myself into his path, snagging the death scythe from just within his reach.

"Bring it, demon." I said with more courage than I felt, brandishing the pruning pole at Sebastian whether I could truly wield it as a death scythe or not. Every fiber, of my body was screaming at me in terror, telling me not to.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" William's yell bounced off the walls and rang in my ears.

"Saving your life!" I screamed back at him. The demon flew at me with inhuman speed, the bloody steak knife clutched in his hands. I bit my lip; at least it was going to be quick. I scrunched my eyes closed and blindly threw the death scythe in front of me as if it alone would save me from the wrath of a demon. I swore again quietly, not really caring if it was going to be my last words.

There was a deafening bang, and a hissing sound like an electric shock. My eyes flew open in time to watch the knife wrenched from the demon's hand by an invisible force. There was a look of unmistakable shock on his pale face as he too was thrown to the ground.

I wasn't dead. How was that even possible? I repeated the question to myself over and over in my head. My back was to the wall, the pruning pole still clutched in my trembling hands. Was it the reason I was still alive? I looked to William, waiting for his eyes to tell me that what I did was normal, but instead my eyes only met his indifferent stare

"Now, now," A singsong voice called from the roof. My eyes shot up to see the disturbingly feminine silhouette of Grell Sutcliff, "No need to fight over me! There's enough to go around." He jumped from the building like it was a three-foot drop, the red chainsaw raised above his head, aiming a heavy blow at Sebastian. The demon was quick though, and dodged it with ease. It rammed into the ground, causing it to tremble under my feet.

"Need some help boss?" The sound of Ronald's voice along with the revving motor of his death scythe lifted a weight from my chest. It was three against one, odds not even Sebastian could ignore.

"Well, it seems the odds have turned against us." He carefully eyed the reapers who were now standing by our side. His eyes were ever so slightly narrowed at us. "Shall you have me retreat, or shall I continue the fight. The decision is yours to make young master."

"It would be unwise to have even you take them all at once. We shall retreat for now Sebastian."

"Yes my lord." The demon brushed off his tailcoat and slipped it over his shoulders. He bowed low, and as if nothing happened at all, they walked away. I listened to the clicking of their shoes on stone until they mingled with the sounds of the crowd and faded away.


	3. Trust as a Rare Commodity

"So, no memories huh?" Ronald scratched his blond head. "There were a couple on our list too. Beats me what it could mean."

"This is strange indeed, Knox. We should inform the higher ups immediately." William seemed to be completely unconcerned by the fact we both almost died less than ten minutes ago. "Something is stealing memories, and it's not demons or angels for that matter. Don't you find that a little bit strange, Ms. Bates?" William held his death scythe to my neck, hands steady, finger on trigger. I felt the blades of his death scythe brushing against my neck, my death mere millimeters away. "After all, it seems you're the only one who matches this criteria."

"I just saved your life, and you're accusing me of murder?"

"Saved my life?" He scoffed. "A wound like that wouldn't have stopped our weakest trainees!" I bit my lip. He was right, there was no doubt about it, and the look on his stupid face said he knew it. I never thought I would want to punch someone so badly. "However, the blow aimed at you should have been fatal to a human such as yourself."

"Listen to me." I said, backing myself against the damp stone wall, cornered once again. "I know about as much as you do."

"Sir," Ronald apprehensively put a hand on his superior's shoulder, "I suggest we see what the higher ups make of this before jumping to any conclusions." I felt my body un-stiffen as William lowered his weapon.

"You're right Knox." His glasses flashed. "There would be no telling how much paper work we'd have to file if she were wrongly killed." I snorted.

"Nice to know you value a clean inbox more than my life." William ignored my sarcastic retort and continued speaking to Ronald.

"I need you to escort her back to your apartment for the night. I've got more business to attend to."

"Alright, sir."

"And you." William finally acknowledged my existence. "Don't think I have let my guard down. I have my eyes on you."

"Anything you say, sir" I whispered mockingly under my breath, as Ronald and I melted into the crowd once more.

* * *

The street lamps all around us glowed like many little moons against the darkened sky. A silence hung around us like a thick mist as we walked back to the housing block. Too much happened today, too much to even think about, so instead I counted the fireflies. However, it became difficult to keep track of them as the flicked their little lights on and off, so resigned to content silence.

I realized with a gut twisting feeling, that not once since I came here, had I thought of home. Home, with the familiar rush of traffic, and the voices of the few people close to me. I wondered if anyone looked for me, or missed me at all. I had been gone more than a day, which is usually around the time when people start worrying, that is if they cared enough. However, I knew that there would always be at least one person who cared, whose world would be empty without me. Perhaps she was waiting at home for the police to call back, and tell her I was gone for good, that she lost the only person she had left.

The night air was chilly, and I automatically shoved my hands into my coat pockets, where they bushed against the cold metal of the silver necklace.

"Ronald?" My breath formed curls of mist that tumbled through the air until they faded away.

"Hm." I saw the smile disappear from his face as the necklace unraveled itself in my hand. "Oh… That." His voice was unusually subdued, and his somewhat cocky attitude had all but vanished.

"Are you alright?"

"No, no I'm fine." He insisted, flashing a weak smile.

"Oh… okay then." There was a long pause in which neither of us talked. We just walked listening to the birds of the night make their calls.

"Hey," Ronald spoke once again. "There's something I want to tell you."

"What is it?"

"The story of the life and death of Ronald Knox."

"Is it a sad story?" Ronald smiled slightly at my question.

"You could say that, I guess." He said. "He was seventeen, engaged to the girl of his dreams. Her name was Caroline Martin, and he thought the world of her. There were a few days left until their wedding, and he decided he would surprise her. So he bought her the most finely made silver necklace he could afford. But on his way there, he was struck by a carriage and died instantly. And that's the end, I guess."

"What about Caroline, what became of her?"

"She moved on, had a family and everything." Ronald seemed older in that moment. He must have known that eventually she would move on, grow to love someone else. But perhaps a sliver of him had hoped she wouldn't, that she would commit suicide in despair, and they would be able to see each other again.

"What a horrible ending." I said, tilting my head towards the sky as I thought.

"What do you mean?"

"There's no resolution. I mean, what happens to this Ronald Knox? Clearly death wasn't the end for him. " I replied. "There is still something he can do."

"I don't follow."

"The necklace, I say we go give it to her, put things to rest. That sounds like a better ending to me."

"You have got to be joking. This was over a hundred years ago. She's been dead for a very long time now."

"I know." I said, a slight smile spreading across my lips.

* * *

When we arrived, the graveyard was empty. A fog swirled in the air, and a raven croaked somewhere in the distance. There was nobody there except us and tombstones of the long dead, covered in various mosses, and almost unreadable. A vase of fresh red roses was carefully placed by a weathered tombstone. Long gone, but never forgotten. The graveyard was peaceful, and the moonlight gave it subtle beauty. There was a graveyard like this one in my hometown, where children always gathered at night, daring one another to slip under the gate, but each would chicken out and they would run away giggling. The backyard of my childhood home touched the edge of it, with only a fence to separate them. So I would watch them leave from my bedroom window, and when they were gone, I would hop the fence and explore. Then when my father died, it was somehow soothing to walk the stone path through it. It was one of the many things that doomed me to be alone. At school, in public, it didn't matter, nobody ever went near me, they didn't want to be.

"Here." Ronald's voice cut into the silence. The tombstone was the oldest one of the lot, cracked in places, lichen grew in patches on its surface. I stood behind him watching as he laid the necklace in a tiny dirt hole and smoothed it over with dirt. A cold night breeze wandered through my hair making it dance against the murky, tar black sky. I pulled my jacket tighter.

A feeling of uneasiness settled upon me. I glanced over at Ronald, who was sitting in silence, staring deeply at the name etched into the mossy stone. He looked older again, in a way I could not explain. Perhaps he was simply looking back, remembering things he thought he had long forgotten. But there were no signs he felt the same uneasiness I did, and that troubled me. What could I have been sensing that he could not? Unfortunately, I did not need to wait long to find out.

Out of nowhere, I was punched in the gut by an overwhelming sense of fear. My eyes instinctively shifted towards the alleyway just beyond the fence. The outline of terrible and spider-like figures stirred within it, their blood red eyes piercing right through me. The voice in my head was screaming, run, run, but my body wouldn't move.

"Ronald?" I barely managed to speak, feeling as though I was being suffocated by its gaze.

"Can it wait? I'm having a-" He stopped short, noticing the eyes peering at us from the alleyway. They moved quickly, giving us no time to react. Ronald yelled something, but his voice was nothing more than a drum pounding vaguely in my head. My face was gripped by a frozen hand, and with a bright flash of light my world dissolved into nothing but fear and pain.


	4. Promises From the Past

A small brown haired girl sat all alone in the corner of a dark hospital room. Nothing but the thrumming of life support machines, and the eerie pinging of a heart beat monitor kept her company. The blinds were shut tight as if to keep the death from seeping out. The only light came from a couple fading fluorescent bulbs. A doctor walked in wearing a sterile white coat. A clipboard was clutched in their hands. They kneeled down to meet the girl's eyes, which were swollen from crying.

"Miss Bates, it's time to go now." They said, gently putting a hand on her shoulders, which were much too small for a girl of nine years.

"No." The girl retorted stubbornly. Bits of her dark hair stuck out in odd places. "I'm not leaving."

"I know it's hard-"

"You don't know anything!" The girl shouted. Tears began to spill one by one onto her cheeks. Her shoulders trembled with every sob. "He's my dad I can't…"

"Your mother's in the hallway. She's worried. Let's go see her."

"No! She isn't worried about me. I'm not the one who's dying!" She backed away in horror, realizing what she just said. The heart rate monitor gave one last feeble beep, and a flat dead tone filled the room. The doctor took the girls hand and gently swept her out of the room. She tried to pull away but only managed to stretch her slender fingers towards her father, who would never breath again. "Dad, you promised!" She cried. More tears came. "You promised me you'd beat this!" And the door shut, echoing into foreverness along with the girls choked sobs. The scene dissolved into absolute blackness, like a starless night

* * *

My own voice echoed in my head as I regained my senses. I opened my eyes and was greeted by the glare of a fluorescent ceiling light. I realized what I was lying on was a couple waiting room chairs pushed together. The only sound in the quiet office was the scratching of a pen. I sat up, and a small blanket slipped off my lap. William stopped writing and looked at me.

"You're awake." His voice sounded loud in the silent office. "I assume you are alright then?"

"Yes, I… guess I am." I brushed the tip of my fingers over the place where the thing grabbed me. It was still cool to touch. The feeling of its cold dead hands lingered on my skin. "Since when did you care about me?"

"I don't." His answer was as expected. "The board trusted me with your care. I was following orders. My apologies if you got the wrong idea." The Board, every reaper spoke of them, but it seemed not one of them knew who or what they were. It was clear though, that they were not a power to be crossed.

"How about Ronald, is he alright?" I asked, resting my head in my hands.

"Funny that you ask." He said without a hint of joy. "After what you pulled it's a wonder he lived."

"What?" I jumped to my feet. "No! I didn't do anything, we were attacked!"

"I saw for myself Miss Bates. I know very well what happened." His response stunned me like a slap to the face. In all my life, I would never have imagined a person could be so _literally_ blind with arrogance.

"Then you would know that it wasn't me! Those creatures, with red eyes, William, I think they're the ones taking memories!"

"I saw nothing of the sort. Now if you are done with this madness, I have work to do."

"What the hell am I to you?" I cried, my eyes stinging with tears of frustration. "Some sort of scapegoat?" William's eyebrows narrowed. For once his face made an expression other than indifference. He opened his mouth, perhaps to give me an answer, but I didn't want to hear it. I pushed past him into the hallway. He didn't stop me.

Each reaper I passed looked at me with the same expression of disgust and fascination usually reserved for road kill. They readily made way as I passed through the lobby. They probably heard I was a monster, a demon of sorts with uncontrollable powers. I could almost hear it in their whispers. I kept walking, hoping that maybe my feet would carry me home. My mom would be waiting there; ready to listen to whatever I had to tell her. But not even my mom would believe the tale I would have to tell. Not this time.

The glass doors opened in front of me, and through them stepped a reaper I recognized as Alan. He was rather scrawny, and looked more a child than a powerful spiritual being. A book was tucked under his arm, and in his hand was a death scythe that had to be at least a couple feet taller than himself. He extended a hand in greeting, but I stormed past him, rendering it useless.

"Okay." He said, walking beside me now. "We can skip introductions. I'm not too good at them myself."

"It's Alan isn't it?" I asked without bating an eye at him.

"Yes." He said calmly. "Ronald will be out of commission for awhile, so William appointed me to take over his task."

"What happened to him?" I dared to meet his bright green eyes. Somehow they were different from the others, more innocent perhaps, but whatever it was they seemed to calm me. "William mentioned something happened to him at the graveyard, I want to know what it was."

"What I heard was, you were looking at him one second, then the next Ronald was out." Alan replied. "Then something odd happened that not even William seems to understand. There was a big flash of light, and after that, you just collapsed."

"Can you take me to him?" My mouth asked without my brain's permission.

"Of course." He said calmly.

* * *

The infirmary was surprisingly small place. The hallways were thin, and much to clean to be natural. The sterile smell almost made me gag. I had never particularly liked hospitals. A nurse in a dress and white apron came up the hall, her leather shoes clacking on the laminate. When she caught sight of us she fled into the nearest doorway. Alan and I were alone in the hallway once more.

"Aren't we supposed to check in or something?" I whispered, although were alone in the silent hallway.

"We don't need to. They seem to know anyways. It's weird but you get used to it." Alan answered. The room Ronald's room was decorated in sterile white, and lacked much furniture other than a bed. It was dark, and the blinds were shut tight. At the far end of the room was the bed where Ronald lay, too deep in sleep to be aware of our presence. Sheets covered his body except for his face, which was paler than normal. His glasses were removed and carefully set on the bedside table.

"He will recover in due time." Alan said, as we approached. "But it frightens me to think of what could do this much damage to a reaper..."

"Hey, Ronald... please wake up." I spoke softly to him, though as I expected there was no response. "They don't believe me. I know, how silly is that?" I saw wet marks appearing on the sheets below me, and was surprised to find that I had been crying this whole time. It struck me, not because it had been so long since the last time I cried, but because I had forgotten what it felt like to cry. Nine years, was too long to not let yourself feel after all... "I... I don't know what to do anymore. You're the only one who can tell them the truth..." I rather suddenly remembered Alan was still in the room. I glanced over at the wall where he was standing. The solemn expression he wore only seemed natural on his face. "Thanks Alan." I said, drying my eyes with my sleeve. "I'm ready to leave now."

"Very well." He sighed, and I knew he was feeling just the same, only I could express it, and he could not. That seemed to be the only fundamental difference between us.

* * *

Alan stayed with me when I returned to what was the room Ronald and I once shared. I was supposed to be watched at all times, but I didn't mind if it was only Alan. Eventually though, he agreed to help me with something that'd been on my mind for a while now. After everything that happened, I couldn't help but wonder if this strange power I had could be harnessed. I admit, the first few times, the pencils did hit, and they did hurt, but we worked at it. Eventually I was able to make them drop midair before it could hit me, but at that point it was time for bed.

I lay in my bed, unable to sleep, itching to keep trying tomorrow. Alan was softly snoring above me, and the clock ticking away the seconds until morning. Somewhere down the hall a door opened then closed. Alan stirred but did not wake up. I checked the time. It was only 3:30 in the morning; surely it wasn't shift turn over yet. Who was going out so late? I whipped out of bed, and without putting on shoes, slipped out after them. I followed the bulky blond figure out into the starry-skied night. My bare feet made little sound as they gently slapped against the concrete. The blond stopped as if thinking. I froze in my tracks. I had nowhere to hide. Heart beat quickening, I stood completely still hoping with all my might that they wouldn't turn around. If I was found, if he saw me it would be over.

"I know you're there, you little witch." My stomach dropped in the worst kind of ways. I recognized the voice, it was Eric, and I realized with a jolt, why he was out so late. He turned to meet my eyes, and his hatred became clear. What reason he had for hating me, I didn't know. "You shouldn't be out so late. People might get suspicious."

"The same goes for you." I ignored the pounding of my heart. "I know what you're doing. You're trying to save Alan aren't you?" Surprise flickered in his eyes. I'd hit spot on. I tilted my chin up, and looked at him dead in the eyes.

"What do you know about Alan and I?" He snapped.

"I know that he doesn't want this!"

"You've got no idea what Alan wants!"

"Do you want him to be killed?" I cried. "Because that's what you're going to do, you're going to kill him!"

"You don't know what you're sticking your nose into human." Eric growled. A saw materialized in his hand. He had it raised about to attack. I closed my eyes, and thanked my courage for not failing me. The saw that could stop my pounding heart in one strike, drew nearer. I couldn't see it, but I knew it was there, disturbing the fibers of this world as it sliced through the air. I threw my hand out, and at that instant the world stopped, all that could be heard was an earsplitting bang like an electric shock. My eyes flew open. Eric was standing a couple meters away from me, breathing heavily and clutching his hand. The saw lay on the concrete, bent out of shape. An unbeatable weapon defeated at last.

"Don't you dare say that to me!" I shouted, although my voice should have wavered. "Cancer killed my father when I was young. I watched him suffer until the day he died. And I can say without a doubt, that I would have done the same. But if I had, all good he saw in me, his own daughter would have been lost. Is that what you want?! For Alan to live, but lose all faith in the friend he thought he could trust?!" I didn't wait for a response before turning my back on him, and walking away. Desperately, I hoped my words would be enough change it, the fate set out for them by the person who wrote them into existence.


	5. True Intentions

_A tall man wandered through a world filled with nothing but pitch-black darkness that swirled around him. He seemed to be looking for something, although what he expected to see in such absolute darkness was unknown. Voices reached out to him, many of them, each haunting and malicious._

" _Do you have what we asked?" They spoke in unison._

" _No, I don't." The man spoke to the darkness around him as if it were an entity of its own._

" _We said do not return without them." They hissed._

" _I know something that concerns the both of us."_

" _Tell us!" The entity demanded. The man cast a twisted handsaw onto the ground before him._

" _A human girl did this. Appeared a couple days ago near the river at Westminster. Got some strange powers, she does. It's like she can make walls out of nothin'. Could she be who you warned of?"_

" _We know of her. She is a problem. Kill her!"_

" _That problem is already taking care of itself. The reapers are already afraid of her. Them old fools wouldn't recognize a real threat if it slapped 'em in the face."_

" _Good, good. Do not fail us then, Slingby."_

* * *

I shut the door behind me, with shaking hands, and rested my back against it. "Stupid." I muttered, letting myself slide down to the floor. I let my emotions run wild, just as they expected of a human like me.

"Eliza, I hope this is not what it looks like." My heart squeezed at the sound of Alan's voice. He was holding his death scythe loosely in one hand. From that position it would have been impossible for him to attack effectively. Perhaps he was hoping he wouldn't have to. I wanted to tell him everything, about his fate, about Eric, but somewhere between my mind and my lips the signal fell short.

"I'm so sorry, Alan. Everything's so messed up," I said instead, folding my knees against my chest, "And I can't do a thing." Alan let go of his scythe, and it vaporized into thin air.

"Did anyone see you?" He asked.

"Eric did." I said, tilting my head towards the ceiling so that I wouldn't have to meet his eyes. I heard him sigh with relief. If only he knew what happened between us, perhaps he would be less relieved.

"You got off lucky." Alan scolded, as he helped me up from the floor. "Anyone other than him, and you would've been dead before you knew what happened."

"You really trust Eric, don't you?"

"Like a brother." Alan answered.

"Don't stop, okay?" I smiled, and wiping my eyes with the sleeve of my nightdress. One day Alan would figure it all out, and as soon as he did, the end would begin. Today though, was not that day, and I felt better knowing that he didn't have to worry, at least for now.

"You're being incredibly cryptic, you realize that right?"

"Am I?"

"Yeah. Why is that?"

"There's just… lots of things on my mind."

"I'm sure there is. Changing worlds, it can't be easy."

"So you believe that then?"

"I was there that day, remember? The clothes you wore, the way you spoke, everything about you was different from anything I'd ever seen before." Alan explained. "It was like you were from a different world. So when Mr. Spears told me what you said, I didn't find it hard to believe."

"You would be one of the few, then."

"What is it like there, in the world you came from?

"It's… a little difficult to explain." I thought awhile in silence, until finally I came up with an answer that was satisfying. "Things there… are very different. Life is easier there than it's ever been before. We can communicate in the blink of an eye, cross whole oceans in less than a day, and do things the people here can't even dream of. In the end though, I found that there's really no difference. Society changes from place to place, but human nature will always be the same."

"That sounded wisely put." He remarked. "Whole oceans in a day, huh? You're right, I can't even dream of how that would be possible." I couldn't remember what exactly was running through my mind at that instant, but what came out of my mouth next surprised even me.

"Aloe."

"Pardon?"

"That's what they used to call me before my father died. After that, I changed my name to Elizabeth." With the sleeve of my nightdress I wiped away the tears in my eyes, and scolded myself for being such an emotional wreck. My father had given me that name, never thinking it's meaning would become too literal for me to bear. "In the language of flowers it means grief."

"Aloe is a pretty name." His comment made me smile slightly.

"You would be the first to say that. Thanks Alan… for everything." I gave him the best smile I could muster, which I was sure must have looked utterly pathetic. "I think, I should go to bed now." I crawled into bed, however Alan had not moved an inch. "Hey, don't you have work tomorrow morning?"

"Hm? No. Spears gave me afternoon shift." He said. "Besides, I'm a light sleeper. It's not like I'm falling asleep again anytime soon."

"Oh…" I said. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up."

"It's alright." Alan reassured. "Well, good thing I brought some extra paper work last night. I'll try my best not to disturb you."

"Goodnight, Alan."

"Goodnight."

* * *

I awoke to someone shaking me vigorously. Blinking away the blurriness, I realized it was Alan. "Get up. We've got to go." Something about the way he spoke was strange, like he was holding something back.

"Why?" I asked groggily, rubbing my eyes.

"I've got morning shift, and you've got to come." He replied, his bright eyes, periodically flicking towards the door. "We should hurry, I'm running late."

"Okay." I had been sure he didn't have morning shift, but did not question it, and hopped out of bed anyways.

The streets were eerily void of sound. No birds called, not even the ravens I often heard. Even the wind stopped whistling in my ears. It was as if the entire world had stopped moving. "Alan, why are we running?" I asked. "What is going on?"

"Nothing, I just have to find Eric." He answered calmly, yet his eyes flit this way and that. There was no doubt about it anymore. He was holding out on something important, and I intended to find out what. I came to a halt. "What are you doing?" He urged me on with a wave of his hand. "Let's go."

"No, I'm not stupid Alan. I'm not moving until you tell me what's going on." I demanded. Alan let out an exasperated sigh.

"A reaper was killed last night. In our realm." He said. Something dropped in my stomach, something horrible and sickening. I had been out that night, without permission. Somehow I knew what was going to come out of his mouth next. "They think you did it, but I don't believe them."

"Who told them I did it?" My head was still reeling, unsure how to process what he said.

"I don't know." He replied. "They're holding a trial in an hour, and we need to get you to the human world before then. But I can't get you there so I have to find someone who can."

"What happens if they find me guilty?" I asked, my palms sweating from the fear that began to solidify itself. He looked me dead in the eye, a most solemn look on his face.

"You die your final death." He continued to walk, and I followed, too stunned to object.

I don't know how I failed to see him as we neared the tree. After all, a tall blond man like Eric would have been pretty difficult to miss. He was leaning against the tree, a lit cigarette hanging out of his mouth, death scythe resting on his shoulder.

"Eric! I need your help. I don't have my pass and-"

"And just what d'ya plan on doing with mine Al?" He blew a puff of smoke and tossed it aside. Using the tip of his shoe he smothered it into the ground. Something about him alarmed me. It wasn't the saw swung over his shoulder, or the cigarette he was smoking, but his eyes, so petrifyingly cold as he stared me down.

"We need to get out of here, Eric. If she's tried they'll sentence her to death."

"We're s'pose to escort her to the trial, Board's orders. Unless, that is you're goin' against 'em." Eric readied his scythe, and Alan called upon his.

"Maybe I am." Alan spoke defiantly. I was rooted to the spot; my hands in a tight fist still trembled. This couldn't be happening, I told my self. Like brothers he said, but brothers didn't fight, not like this. Eric's saw sliced the air, and that moment when Alan realized what had become of Eric, the end began. Alan seized up, his death scythe falling to the ground with a clatter, but it was too late for Eric to stop now.

"No!" I screamed, throwing myself between them. With my hands I bent the world to my will. No more did I struggle to feel them, the fibers of the world, as I shaped them into a wall that halted Eric's saw mid swing. There was no remorse in Eric's eyes, as Alan collapsed to the ground in pain. The Eric I was familiar with would have rushed to his side, taken him into his arms, and comforted him. But this was not the Eric I was familiar with. Not anymore. "Stop!" I panted, struggling to maintain the wall under the crushing force of his death scythe. "I'll go with you. Just stop this madness." Everything about this was wrong. Eric was supposed to care about him. He let up his scythe, and I was more than relieved to let the wall between us dissipate. I propped up Alan on my shoulder, just like Eric once did for him. "Lead the way." I said.


	6. Dead End

_"The loneliest thing in the shape of a fist_

_that I wish I could bring in this bitter abyss,_

_is my petrified heart_

_still pounding."_

**_-Portal, by LIGHTS_ **

* * *

"This is wrong and you know it, Eric." Alan said. The courtroom doors slammed behind her, as the two officers dragged the girl towards her doom.

"Board's orders Al." Eric replied, another cigarette between his teeth. Alan snatched it out of his mouth and stamped it out.

"How could you smoke at a time like this?" Alan snapped. "She's going to die because of you!"

"Just sit down, and be glad I didn't report ya."

"No, Eric, you've been up to something, and I'm willing to bet my scythe it involves her!" Eric chuckled.

"And what makes you think that?"

"She followed you, on the night of the murder. I heard her leave. You were the only one who saw her. You knew exactly what would happen if you reported her!" Alan shouted.

"You're bein' ridiculous Al. What would I have against her? Really now."

"I don't know, but right now, I wouldn't trust you to tell me the truth anyways." Alan turned his back, and slammed the door behind him.

"I'm sorry Al, but this is the way it gotta be." Eric said to the empty room, which became dark and forbidding in his absence.

* * *

When I entered, the room broke out into a tense murmur, reapers on all sides speaking to one another in hushed voices. In their eyes, a monster had just entered the room, shackled but still dangerous. I scanned the crowd for a familiar face, hoping to see Ronald or at least Alan, but all I found was William's cold stare. I glared back at him until a rough jab from behind caused me to stumble forward. Looking even, was apparently not something I was supposed to do.

The courtroom was vast, and just as overpoweringly impressive as the rest of the buildings. I was starting to think they had done this on purpose. Suddenly I knew why the streets were so empty. Half the realm must've been there. Reapers from management filled up all the seats, and officers were forced to jam onto the balcony along with some of the girls from administration.

The gavel struck three times, and a hush settled over the room. "Elizabeth Bates," the judge spoke with a booming voice, "you are accused of the murder of a junior collections officer. What say you?"

"I'm not guilty." I said firmly, knowing I couldn't show them how utterly terrified I was.

"Call in the witness."

"Eric?" I whispered under my breath. Eric sauntered into the room, shoulders relaxed, hands in his pockets. Somehow I knew he wasn't exactly here to defend me.

"Eric Slingby, tell us what you saw that night."

"Couldn't sleep, so I went for a smoke. Just mindin' my own business when she attacked from behind. Mangled up my scythe, before I managed fight 'er off." I didn't know what I expected, but it was definitely not such a blatant lie.

"Where you see her go after that?"

"Dunno. She buggered off real quick. The li'l witch can blend in well."

"Thank you Slingby. You are dismissed."

"No problem, sir." And he walked out of the room. All eyes were on me now.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself Miss Bates?"

"Yeah. First off, I was wearing a _white_ night dress. Even with a reaper without glasses would have been able to notice me in that kind of dark. Secondly, your officer attacked _me-_ "

"An appropriate course of action upon encountering a strange individual at night. You were specifically forbidden from travelling anywhere without the supervision of Mr. Humphries, were you not? "

"Yes, but-"

"Then it was perfectly within his bounds to apprehend you by force."

"I don't know how you're missing this, but he lied!" I clenched my fists, the chains connected to my wrist jingling quietly as the shook in anger. How could Eric lie like that, what on earth could he possibly stand to gain by getting rid of me?

"I am fully aware of the situation." The judge boomed, striking the gavel. "If you have anything more to say in your defense, say it now."

"I think I will…" My voice carried into the far reaches of the courtroom although I hadn't spoken loudly. This was my last chance. Someone, somewhere in this room was bound to believe me, and that's all I needed. "Those creatures that are taking memories, the ones you claim don't exist, they're still out there. One of your strongest officers are in the infirmary after facing just one of them. Most of your officers won't even stand a chance. If you think killing me will stop them you're kidding yourselves." Panic spread throughout the room. None of them had known about those monsters, I could hear it in their whispers. I took a deep breath, and continued to speak with a raised voice. "I believe I can he-" The sound of the gavel being struck echoed off the walls. The voices died down.

"If these 'things' existed, the Board as well as the Council would be well aware of their presence by now." The judge proclaimed. "There is no significant proof otherwise, that you did not commit the murder or previous assaults. I proclaim you guilty of all charges, and sentenced to death." An ice-cold hand wrapped around my heart. There was a pounding in my ears that drowned out all other noise.

"Listen to me!" I shouted, clinging to the threads that remained of my hope, my fingers slowly slipping. "Get Alan and Ronald, they know what I'm saying is true!"

"There is nothing, and I mean nothing, anyone can say to change my decision. Case dismissed." The threads snapped. I could feel myself falling, yet I was going nowhere. This was not the dream come true I once imagined. This was a living nightmare.

"You're making a mistake." I managed to say before my voice stopped working, though it couldn't have been much more than a whisper by now. They led me into the atrium, where I saw Eric standing. I didn't speak. I only looked, hoping my face would tell him what my voice failed to say. The guards shoved me through the door from which we came in, sending me stumbling into the sunlight. I blinked and, couldn't help but wonder how much longer I had to see it.

* * *

It was dark in the cell, and I was alone just as fate intended. I hugged my knees close to my chest, and shut my eyes, as if that alone could shut out the world. I didn't cry, as I saw no point in doing so anymore. Crying wasn't going to change their mind, and it sure as hell wasn't getting me out of here. I could only wait.

I heard footsteps approaching my cell. Was it time already? I waited for the tell tale rattle of keys, but it didn't come. I lifted my head from my knees, and opened my eyes to see the very last person I expected to come. It was William, looking the same as ever, with his indifferent expression, and the book tucked under his right arm that never seemed to leave. "I suppose you're here to mock me?" My voice was ice cold, as if it came from another person entirely.

"I would have no reason to do so." William slipped a bundle of cloth between the bars.

"What is this?" I said, taking the cloth into my hands and unwrapping it.

"Your old clothes." I draped my old sweatshirt over my shoulders, and rubbed my cheek against the soft fabric. The smell of home still lingered on it, a small comfort in the dark cell.

"Why did you do this? I thought you hated me." I looked at him, and for a fleeting moment, his expression resembled something close to sympathy.

"I have come to realize that I reacted… poorly to your situation. A proper reaper apologizes when he has wronged someone, no matter who or what they are." William sighed, and adjusted his glasses. "This was my mistake, from the very beginning, and I am sorry." I blinked. Of all the things I was expecting him to say, that was not one of them.

"I'm confused. Why the sudden change?" His glasses flashed, which was an impressive feat in such dim light.

"Let's just say the way your trial was handled, was very… enlightening." He turned to leave.

"Wait." I called after him, and he stopped. "There's something I've… been meaning to ask."

"And what is that?" I took a deep breath.

"What is it like to die?" There was a pause. William turned to face me again, and I began to fear what his answer might be.

"I do not know true death, Eliza. None of us reapers do, because we were all too stubborn to let go." And on that cryptic note, he disappeared into the darkness. I unfolded my t-shirt, and a note fluttered to the floor. In neat and orderly cursive, it read: Keep this close to your heart. Remember when there is a will there is a way. This is not the end for you. –William T. Spears,

"William, wait!" I scrambled towards the bars, but he was already long gone. "When there is a will, there is a way…" I pondered out loud, gazing at the note in my hand. I folded it up and placed it carefully in the breast pocket of my t-shirt, the one I was going to wear tomorrow. Close my heart, just as he said.

* * *

The sound of waves washing over the rocks below, the sweet smelling breeze of spring, the sun in my eyes. I was going to miss all of them. What a beautiful day to die, I thought as they led me up on the cliff where a small group of reapers were assembled. Alan was amongst them, head bowed, arms wrapped around his chest, closed off to the world. Ronald stood next to him, apparently recovered from his injuries in the graveyard. There was no cocky grin on his face, instead, only a flat expression, like a shut door.

We stopped under the shade of an ancient looking willow tree. I saw William approach me from the corner of my eye, pruning pole in hand. I turned to face him, and he gave me a subtle nod. "Last words?" He asked.

I turned to face the reapers all arranged in straight rows before me, took a deep breath, and began to speak. "I was going to say something spiteful, but in the past few hours I realized that you all taught me something important, and that was the consequence of living life without emotions. That was something I once tried myself, something I regret deeply." I paused, in an attempt to keep my voice steady, and swallowed the lump forming in my throat. _Breath Eliza, breath…_ I told myself, _You're not dead yet..._ "You can all go ahead and keep thinking that humans are weak, that you're above them. But the truth is every single one of you were once one, just like me, just like the people whose souls you collect. And then you died. But that changes nothing. You're still you, the same you that once cried, and laughed, and yelled when you were alive, that felt all the most terrible and wonderful feelings. And you can still feel them, though you pretend not to. That doesn't make you any weaker, just… a little bit more human. " I looked at William again. He was wearing a strange kind of expression, as though he was trying to look sad but his face had forgotten how, and just like that, my resolve vanished. I had no more will left to fight away the tears, which fell faster than I could wipe them away. "This isn't fair." I whispered in a shaky voice, my vision blurred by tears. "Why didn't they believe me, huh?" What a sight I must have been to them, with my hair sticking to the wetness on my cheeks, and my outlandish clothing. William brushed the hair away from my face, an act of sympathy he would surely be punished for. For a moment it reminded me of something my dad would have done.

"It will be painless, I promise." William muttered, so that only I could hear. He took a few steps back, and looked me in the eye, pruning pole aimed at the heart beating away in my chest. "I'm sorry." I saw him mouth. He pulled the trigger, and the tip of his scythe raced towards me. I closed my eyes, and in a single heartbeat, everything I was, everything that ever happened to me reeled before me. Memories of my father, the day he died, the people that shunned me, the fall that brought me here, the graveyard, the trial, and then the look on William's face as he pulled the trigger, and the world went black.


	7. The Veil

_Now, would be the part when a child might cover their ears, and ask their parents to stop reading. There was no more hope for the hero of the story any more. After all, what was more final than death? What point was left in continuing? And the parent would move closer and tell the child that not all was lost, not quite. That's because the hero always wins somehow. Don't they?_

* * *

There was only blackness where I was now, no time, no pain or relief, nothing but emptiness, and loads of it. When I was living I wouldn't have been able to comprehend such a world devoid of everything, an anti-world, but now it just seemed to make sense. Knowing what I did though, there was no way I could stay. I was willing to bet the memory eaters were behind the murder that landed me here. What other truth could they have used me to hide? However, if that were the case, then none of them, not even a management level reaper such as William would be safe. I had to get back, somehow. Then maybe, _just maybe,_ I would be able to stop them. _Since when were you so noble?_ the little voice in my mind whispered. _Since I started caring,_ I thought in response, and the little voice was quiet once more.

' _You seem hesitant to move on_.' The words rang out clearly in my mind, but it was not the voice of my own thoughts, rather the voice of someone else, a woman I did not recognize. What a strange voice it was, hardly eerie, but not at all comforting.

"Who are you?" I called out into the void.

' _Who am I? That is a question many have asked, and I am afraid I cannot give you an answer. I am simply here to guide you towards one path or another. Whether you choose to pass beyond the veil, or return as a servant of death, however, is solely your choice to make.'_

"Whatever let's me go back, I don't care."

' _Is that your final decision?'_

"Yes. I want to live."

' _I knew you would choose to live.'_ My eyes began to burn, as if someone had pressed red hot metal against them. ' _They always do…'_ I heard the disembodied voice say, as the pain drowned out the rest of my awareness.

* * *

There were eyes everywhere; all of them green in colour, their bodies absent. Buzzing filled my ears, and suddenly realized that what I was hearing was the voice of millions upon millions speaking at once. _'I don't want to die!'_ From the abyss, a child's voice cried out, clearer than others, and hauntingly familiar. The realization hit me like a tonne of bricks. What I had heard was in fact, the voice of a young William begging for his life.

One by one, more voices joined in, a chaotic chorus of desperation. But then another joined, clearer than the others. It was the voice of a young girl, lost and scared, echoing throughout the darkness. Another pair of green eyes appeared amongst the rest, and the voice became clearer. _'I want to live.'_ It said, in a voice that was none other than my own.

* * *

I was in bed, a luxuriously soft down comforter tucked around my shoulders. It was warm, so warm and comfortable I felt I could stay there forever. My alarm clock would come on any second now, in order to drive me out of this comfortable haven. And when I opened my eyes, I would be greeted by the plain white ceiling of my room.

I opened my eyes slowly, blinking in the sunlight that streamed in through the window. The room was much larger than any sane person would have made a bedroom, and extravagantly decorated at that. This was not my room, and I should have known from the beginning. Throwing back my covers, I leapt out of bed and ran for the door. I rattled the doorknob, but it wouldn't budge. I was trapped. I sank to my knees, clutching the top of my head. I wanted to scream, yet I wasn't sure why. Anywhere… I just wanted to be anywhere other than here.

I lifted my head and looked into the mirror, meeting the eyes of a girl that looked much like me, only different. Her hair was disheveled and wild, her eyes once hazel, now green, lit with terror. She held her hand to her heart, but felt nothing. Hands trembling, she felt her wrists for a pulse, a sign that she was alive. Nothing. Only dead silence.

The door clicked. Two sets of footsteps walked in, one of them belonging to that of a grown man, and the second were that of a child. "Get up." The child spoke in a commanding voice. I obeyed. He had dark hair, the child, no, The Queen's Watchdog. One eye was blue, and over the other was an eye patch, but I knew what it kept hidden. The demon bound to him was standing near, playing the part of a nobleman's butler well. I dried my eyes on the sleeve of the nightdress. It was obviously an expensive nightdress, but I didn't care anymore.

"What do you want with me?" I snapped, the fear that shot through me as Sebastian attacked still fresh in my mind.

"For now, nothing." Ciel replied coolly. "Follow me." We walked through an infinite maze of lavishly decorated hallways. I followed him in a daze. I knew very well what I'd become, and yet it still made no sense. If I had become one of them, one of the reapers, then why was I here and not _there?_ At a set of double doors was where we stopped. "Take care of her Sebastian. I'll be in the parlor once she is… fit to be seen by human eyes."

"Very well, young master." Sebastian, bowed slightly, and Ciel disappeared into the hallway. "This way, young lady." He said, holding open the door with one hand, and gesturing with the other. I walked in, and found myself in an equally extravagant room. There was a dressing table, or a vanity in the corner of the room. "Sit, please." He said with an air of politeness one would expect from a butler like him. I sat down in front of the dressing table, while the butler began to do my hair. Unable to comprehend what was happening to me, I said nothing.

Once I was dressed to the butler's satisfaction, he lead me down to the parlor, where the child was waiting patiently with a cup of tea in his hands. "Tea, young lady?" Sebastian offered, and I accepted. Though I realized as soon as the cup was in my hand, that drinking tea was actually a rather pointless activity, seeing is I could no longer felt thirst.

"I'm sure you're wondering why you're here Miss. Bates." Ciel spoke finally.

"Yes, I am. Seeing is last time we met, you tried to kill me."

"But he was unable to," Ciel replied, "which is exactly why you are here." He set the teacup down on the table, and the butler promptly refilled it. He took a piece of paper from his pocket, and held it up so I could see. "Does this look familiar to you?" If there was a heart still beating in my chest, it would have jumped. Held between his two fingers, was a note signed by none other than William T. Spears himself, the very same one he had given me that day... _Remember when there is a will there is a way. This is not the end for you._ It suddenly dawned upon me that he had been planning this all along. William T. Spears, the one who had once ridiculed and despised me, had purposely gone behind The Board's back in order to ensure my survival. "I can see from your face that it is." Ciel said.

"How did you find that?"

"It was dropped off here by a certain red haired reaper. He told us of your… predicament." Ciel took a sip of tea. "But let's not get off topic. I would like to make a deal." He said. "These beings apparently have the reapers in a stir, and I need someone reliable on the inside to figure out why."

"In case you haven't noticed," I said with a slight smirk. "The Reaper Dispatch Association and I don't exactly get along. Besides, what's in it for me?"

"You're a reaper now, and from our experience with your type, a convincing disguise should not be a problem" He said, with a cunning smile on his face. "As for your reward, according to the info provided to us, your physical body is being held by the reapers for study. I'm about to give you a chance to reclaim it. So what do you say, Eliza?"


	8. Inquiries and Interviews

"Is that… even possible?" I felt like I was going to be sick. Disgusting, that was the first description that came to mind. In the most bizarre way, I felt violated. The image of reaper scientists perched over my cold, lifeless body like buzzards, poking, and prodding it in search of its secrets, it made my skin crawl. I could almost feel their hands on my skin, and I had to fight down the urge to shudder.

The Earl took a sip of his tea. "Well, you'll never know if you don't try." He replied. "So, Eliza, what is your answer?" I bit my lip.

I wasn't particularly fond of the idea of working with The Queen's Guard Dog of all people. However, the more I thought about it, the more it seemed I had no other choice. This was the only chance I was going to get to set things straight once and for all. Not to mention it was either this, or wind up alone and defenseless on the streets of London, a perfect target for hungry demons.

"Fine."

"Excellent." Ciel replied, with a sly smile. "For the next few days you will be staying here on the manor. Arriving there any sooner would look suspicious. During that time, I will personally see to it that you are training your skills. We have managed to convince Grell Sutcliffe to assist with that matter, as he is more experienced with the capabilities and limits of reapers. Otherwise, I leave you in full control of this task."

"That's a lot of responsibility for someone you just met."

"You're not completely stupid. That's good enough for me."

"Phantomhives never settle for just good enough. There's another reason isn't there?"

Ciel smirked. "You're sharp. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to tell you" He replied. "The truth is, Grell told us about your trial, and I found the testimony of the reaper Eric Slingby particularly interesting. He said that whatever your power is, it mangled his death scythe. I figured such a quality would come in… handy when investigating the reapers."

"And when you have your information… then what happens?"

"We will destroy these beings, rid the earth of them by whatever means possible." I shook my head.

"I meant, what about me, what happens to me after I give you what you want?"

"Too early to say. Depends what suits the situation at the time." He said. "However, if need be, I will not hesitate to dispose of you."

"Hm, I knew you'd say that."

"You seem to know a lot of things about me." I shrugged.

"I guess I'm just intuitive." I lied.

"Seems like that's not you all are," Ciel said, "but I digress. There is much to do, so unfortunately I must cut this off here." He stood up, and began to leave, but as he reached the door, he stopped and looked at me once more. "Please feel free to wander around the mansion, though I advise you not get too curious." The door clicked shut behind him, and I was left sitting awkwardly in the parlor. I twiddled my thumbs for a while, unsure of what to do next.

Something moved in the corner of my eye, and my gaze shot towards the movement's source. Feeling quite stupid, I realized it was a mirror, and movement had been me looking around the room like an idiot. I lifted myself up from the chair, and intrigued, took a step towards the mirror. What I saw stunned me. This person wasn't me at all. It was as though, someone had stripped away everything that made me… me, and replaced it with something vastly different and indescribable. Sebastian had left my hair alone for the most part, aside from a headband adorned with a delicate white flower, which held most of my hair back. I was wearing what appeared to be one of Ciel's mother's dresses. It was pale blue, almost white, like the hydrangeas that my mother used to grow in the front garden, and trimmed with white frills and ribbons of deep blue. The neckline was far lower than I was used to, cut just above my midriff. It struck me then, why this look felt so different. This dress, this hairdo, all of it had once belonged to-

"Rachel Phantomhive…" I whispered to myself.

"You are indeed correct, young lady." I nearly jumped out of my skin at the sound of Sebastian's voice. "My apologies, it seems I have startled you." He said with a slight bow.

"No, no, it's fine." I replied. "I just didn't expect you to be back so soon." _Or ever…_

"I was ordered to check on you once more before making preparations for dinner, however I couldn't help but notice your fascination with Lady Phantomhive's dress."

"So it really was hers then?"

"Of course." He said. "It was all we had on hand, I apologize if it does not suit your taste. Though I must say, you do bear an uncanny resemblance to its former owner."

"This woman, Rachel, what was she like?"

"I'm afraid I do not know much about Lady Phantomhive. The young master rarely speaks of her. You would have to ask him yourself, but I doubt you would get an answer."

"I guess everyone has at least one thing they don't want to talk about." I knew I for one had a few…Sebastian pulled out his silver pocket watch, and glanced at it before clicking it shut again.

"Please excuse me young lady, it appears it is time for me to proceed with dinner preparations." He said, and just as quickly as he had showed up, he was gone again. Feeling like quite the idiot once more, I realized I hadn't asked him for the time.

* * *

"William T. Spears…" The councilman paced as he spoke, his steps in time to the ticking of the clock on the wall. William sat across from him, wearing his usual indifferent expression, death-scythe lying across his lap.

"Yes sir. May I ask why you have brought me here? I have business that I must attend to."

"William, you know perfectly well why I have brought you here."

"Excuse my ignorance sir, but I am unaware of any misconduct on my part."

"The girl's record is missing." William raised a single eyebrow.

"Well, this is certainly news to me."

"You were the last to come in contact with her record were you not?"

"Obviously that is not the case." William retorted. The councilman struck the floor with his staff-like death-scythe. William showed no reaction, his face remaining remarkably indifferent in the face of the councilman's anger.

"Enough!" The councilman snapped. "We need straight answers William, and you're going to give them to us. Now let me ask again, you were the last to come in contact with her record were you not?"

"That I know of, yes."

"Good… Upon briefly reviewing her record, was there anything that… stood out to you?"

"She was telling the truth Councilman." Which William couldn't help but think was a concept the council could not understand. "The creatures she spoke of exist."

"Preposterous! There are only three types of beings in this world: Angels, Demons, and us The Grim Reapers. The existence of such creatures goes against the very laws of the universe we live in."

"And so did Eliza. She was the only recorded being in the history of time to possess such an extraordinary gift, and yet she was put to death anyways." William was beginning to lose his patience, but there was no way he was going to let it show. No, this was a game of lies, and he intended to win.

"Cease this foolishness at once!" The Councilman shouted. "The Board's orders are absolute. Do not question their decisions."

"My apologies, sir." William said, without a hint of remorse hidden in his voice. The Councilman's face was twisted into one of frustration. William could almost watch a struggle occurring on his face, and somewhere deep down, it amused him. It was obvious he had been hoping for a reason to keep yelling; however William had not given him one.

"Moving on then." The Councilman cleared his throat, evidently deciding to continue with a more calm approach. But the damage was already done, and William was sure he knew it. "In the time that you spent with her, did you pick up on any signs of… ah, 'potential' in her?"

"None. Apart from her strange abilities, she was a normal human girl" William knew this wasn't true, but thankfully reapers couldn't read much about each other beyond their presence. "I don't think she will become a reaper."

"And what makes you think that?"

"She is weak-willed, like most humans."

"Very well. Now I am aware you have spoken to this girl on occasion. Could you tell us what your conversations with her consisted of?"

"Business matters. Nothing more."

"So you mean to tell me that it was 'business matters' that compelled you to perform such a revolting display of sympathy yesterday?"

"My apologies sir. It will not happen again." The councilman leaned closer, a crooked smile on his face.

"My…William, could it be that you have become attached to this girl?"

"That is ridiculous."

"Oh we'll see, William. Nothing goes on in this realm that we don't find out about."

"Is that so?" He asked, eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

"It is indeed." The Councilman stopped pacing. "I must say though William, you are quite a valuable asset. We are already short of staff, and finding a suitable replacement for you, well, that would be quite a feat. After all, it's only once every few millennia we find a reaper so willingly dedicated to the rules and laws that dictate our existence."

"With all due respect sir, I'm sure there are plenty of women in administration that are more than capable of replacing me, with adequate training of course." William said, ignoring the Councilman's underhanded threat.

"I do not need you to tell me how to do my job." The Councilman snapped. "Now. If you are finished with this ridiculousness, we are done here. We have been merciful in the past William, but should we find that you have been lying to us, I promise that we will be far less understanding. You are dismissed."

"Understood, sir." The councilman left, shutting the door behind him. William reached into his coat pocket, pulling out a small silver pocked watch. "It should be about time." He tilted his head towards the ceiling. "Don't disappoint me Eliza." He said, as if somehow, somewhere she could hear him.


	9. Inquiries and Interviews

_"I wish that I could be brave._

_I must become a lion hearted girl._

_Ready for a fight,_

_before I make the final sacrifice."_

_**-Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up) by Florence + The Machine** _

* * *

I opened my eyes, vibrations of rattling metal reverberating in my skull. The windows were filled with the blackness of night, and only my own reflection stared back at me, its image tinted a ghastly blue from the fluorescent lights. Where we were going, it was impossible to tell, but I didn't care. That seemed to be the case more often than not these days anyways. Noticing my earphones had fallen out, I jammed them back in. A generic rock song blasted into my ears, but anything was preferable to the sound of the whispering around me. The bus jolted as it switched gears, and slowed down. My stop, I thought, and instinctively stood up.

Murmuring my thanks to the faceless driver, I stepped out into the night. Dead leaves scattered across the pavement, an empty street stretching out infinitely before me. I pulled my hood down, and shoving my hands into the pouch of my hoodie, I began to walk. Where I was going, I did not know, but I knew no matter how long it took I had to get there.

There was no moon or stars tonight, and only the orange glow of the streetlights remained to light my way through the suffocating darkness. Pine trees waved in the distance, tossed around by the storm swirling around me. No matter how fast I moved though, it seemed as though I was in the eye of the storm, watching but never touched by the winds of destruction. So mesmerized I had been by this, that I had not seen the light of headlights rushing towards me, or heard the squealing of breaks.

Everything froze in that moment. The pine trees stopped waving, the leaves stopped scattering, even sound had ceased to be. I turned my head, and my heart stopped. I was standing face to face with a three-ton pickup truck, which had it not been frozen in time, would have slammed directly into me.

' _What is your greatest wish?'_ A familiar voice echoed through the night, though I could not remember where I had heard it.

"I don't understand, who… what are you?" I asked, bewildered.

' _Answer me, human."_

"To see that world with my own eyes." My own voice whispered from behind, and I whirled around. There, stood another me, head bowed, eyes hidden by her hair. She shuffled slowly towards me; her laces left carelessly untied dragged on the ground.

' _Is that your final answer?'_

"No, stop!" I screamed, finally realizing what I was witnessing, but the other me showed no response.

"Yes." The other me replied, and her head snapped upwards, revealing a pair of glowing green eyes.

* * *

I snapped bolt upright as I awoke, thoughts in disarray as my mind struggled to separate dream from memory. That scene, it felt so familiar, but twisted and mangled into something that belonged more to the realm of nightmares than reality. It was as though it was a word on the tip of my tongue, there just barely enough for me to remember, but far away enough to escape me, an unknown destination on the horizon. I searched my memory for an answer, but in the end the truth still evaded me. I chose not to dwell on it any further, and got up to splash my face with water.

Nightmares like this one had been plaguing my dreams since arriving at the manor, though I was not about to let them bother me, especially not today. Today was day number three, the day when all our plans would come together, and I would enter the realm of the grim reapers for the first time since becoming one of them.

After some struggle putting on the dress set out for me, I made my way towards the training room Ciel had set aside for me. It was an odd feeling to be wearing shoes indoors, but I had to admit I somewhat enjoyed the sound of them tapping on the marble floors.

Sebastian was waiting at the door. He bowed slightly, smiling as a cat would. My foot hadn't even strayed a toe into that room before I felt his hand on my shoulder holding me back. Knowing by now that there was no way out of this, I stood reluctantly as he fixed the bun I had sloppily put my hair into. I muttered a disgruntled thanks to him, and finally stepped into the room.

An exaggerated yawn filled my ears. "My, my, if it isn't Sleeping Beauty, awake at last." Grell called out in his usual singsong voice. His chainsaw materialized in his hands, motor already rumbling. "Are you ready to push yourself to the limit?" He asked, glasses flashing dangerously.

"Ready as I'll ever be." I took a deep breath, hands and feet in ready position, eyes carefully trained on him in anticipation of any movement. Grell favoured quick and heavy first attacks. I learned this the hard way.

With barely a twitch as a warning, he leapt into action. As I predicted, he went for a direct hit. I shifted myself to the side, pushing aside his death scythe as he sailed past. I cursed in my head, realizing I had not given the push enough power. He used the opportunity to relentlessly double back for another attack, leaving me only just enough time to throw up a wall in response.

"Oh. Done already?" His death scythe ground against my barrier, causing it to emit a hair raising metallic screeching noise. I smirked, though the effort of keeping the barrier raised was becoming taxing.

"Not even close." I said, suddenly ducking out of the way as my barrier gave out. Grell's death scythe slammed into the marble floor. I leapt at my red haired opponent, projecting a barrier in front of me with the intent of slamming directly into him. For one triumphant moment I thought I'd finally had him, but then he flashed his toothy, shark like smile, and I realized that it was in fact already over. He dodged in a flurry of red, and before I had the chance to recover from the weight of my attack he was already coming at me. There was a deafening crash as his death scythe clashed with force of an uncontrolled barrier.

My barrier fizzled out, and I breathed a sigh of relief. That was the cue for our match to end. I closed my eyes for a moment, and crossed my legs where I sat. It wasn't long enough, and I knew it wasn't long enough, but for the time being. I was simply glad it was over. Grell was not exactly a forgiving instructor, and our sparring matches were more like a fight for my life. He didn't hold back. Ever. And it was terrifying. I hoped to goodness that whatever beings I would have to face, they would not be as vicious fighters as him.

"How did she do this time?" I heard Ciel's voice coming from the doorway.

"Half a minute longer." Grell said idly as he checked his nails.

"Not ideal but it'll have to do." Ciel said. "I've received word from the reaper William via carrier pigeon. There's been a change in plans. We leave in a couple hours."

"What?" I leapt to my feet. "Why?"

"The girl you were supposed to disguise as, Helen Farnsworth, had her memories eaten this morning." Ciel looked me dead in the eye. "That reaper, William believes it too specific to be a coincidence." The freezing sensation of that cold hand on my face returned. My chest felt tight all of a sudden, and I clutched the edge of my collar. They knew I what I was planning. How, I didn't know, but this feeling told me without a doubt that they did. "Your new disguise will die in a couple hours. William suggested you review this picture and the information inside carefully." He said, handing me an envelope. "And you," he said turning to Grell now, "you'll be the one collecting her soul. I suggest you get moving." Grell let out an exaggerated yawn, and pursed his lips into a pout.

"I didn't even get to spend any time with Sebas-chan. How boooring." He lamented, dragging his scythe along the floor as he marched out of the room. When he was gone Ciel turned to me again.

"Meet us on the garden terrace in a couple hours. I'm sure you know what needs to be done." With that the Earl turned his back, and followed closely by Sebastian, he left the room.

* * *

I stood on the stone terrace, my shadow barely poking out from my feet under the midday sun. The trees of the distant forest waved lazily in the breeze as though they were waves in a pond of green. A grey cloud sailed in front of the sun, casting a shadow over the garden beyond the terrace, further deepening the ominous feeling that'd been lingering in my chest since this morning.

I pat down my now dark chestnut coloured hair, still in awe of how different I was able to make myself look. The plan was for me take the identity of seventeen-year-old Eva Blackmoore, who had died in an accident while tending her father's shop. According to plan, Grell would escort me into the realm under the guise that this girl had already become a reaper before he'd arrived to collect her soul. He would then hand me off to a reaper from General Affairs, and from there it would be all up to me.

Sebastian clicked open his pocket watch. "We are approaching the scheduled time." He announced.

"Are you ready?" Ciel asked, looking me directly in the eye.

"Yeah, I'm ready." I said, taking a deep breath. Grell held out the slip of paper I assumed was his pass. It disappeared as though it'd turned to dust in his hands, and from it grew a vortex of purest black, looming in front of me like a vast, shadowy mouth. Noticing my hesitation, Grell flashed me one of his signature shark like grins.

"After you." He said with a distinctly airy tone. Biting my lip, I pulled my jacket tighter. I closed my eyes, remembering what William had once told me to do, and with one last deep breath, I took the plunge and stepped into the portal. The familiar rush of air greeted me, and I opened my eyes again.

Stretching before me just as it had that time, was the realm of reapers, in all of it's sparkling grandeur. Absent though, was the wonder that once came with such a sight. I was aware of them now, the dangers that lurked below the surface of this seemingly perfect world waiting for a chance to swallow me whole. But I was also more prepared now, and not about to let that happen.

Grell appeared beside me just as a woman in standard reaper uniform came running down the path towards us. She was a rather tall woman, with long, wavy black hair, and black framed glasses. There was something about the way she looked and the confident, almost cocky way she carried herself that felt vaguely familiar, but why I couldn't put my foot on. "Sorry I'm late." The woman apologized, clearly out of breath. "You wouldn't believe it, someone dared Alice to-" She stopped abruptly as she noticed my presence. "So, this is the new recruit you have for me?" She asked, looking me up and down. "Looks strong, you sure she wouldn't be better for collec-"

"Catherine darling, we both know that's not possible." Grell interrupted. Annoyance flashed across Catherine's face, but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared.

"I know." Catherine replied, looking away slightly. "Sorry about that rookie." She said, her face brightening again suddenly. "Allow me to introduce myself. The name's Catherine Knox, I'll be your supervisor and mentor. It's a pleasure to meet you."


	10. The Other Side

 

 

 

The reason why she was so familiar slammed into me like a ton of bricks. Everything about her suddenly made sense. The cocky way she tilted her head upwards, the playful grin she wore as though such an expression was made for her, they were practically Ronald Knox trademarks. Her hair colour had thrown me off in the beginning, but there was no mistaking it now. She was a relative of his, and therefore the single most likely person to piece together my real identity. I would need to watch my step around her.

Catherine held out her hand, and I hesitantly shook it, infinitely glad that the look of dumbfoundedness on my face would not seem all that unusual in a situation like this. "And you are?" She asked.

"Huh?"

"Your name?"

"E-Eva, Eva Blackmoore."

"Welcome to the afterlife Eva." She said with a pleasant smile, and turned to Grell again. "I'll take it from here, I'm sure you have plenty more souls to collect."

"Have fun then, Catherine darling." Grell said in a singsong voice, and with a swish of his long red coat, he was gone. Catherine gestured for me to follow, and so I did.

We walked up the same path William had practically dragged me along when I had first got here. His grip had been so painfully tight, and the way he looked at me, it was though he'd like nothing more than to wipe me off the face of the planet. How different things had been then, when we were both content with seeing nothing good in one another. Hate is simple that way, because in hate there is no second-guessing, no doubt…

"Hey," Catherine's voice interrupted my thoughts. "I know how you're feeling right now, but things will work out in time, I promise. Things tend to sort themselves out if you give them time, and as reapers we have plenty." Maybe for her that was true, but once I had what I needed I'd return to my life of numbered days, and the reaper Eva Blackmoore would cease to be. As nice as the idea of immortality was, I knew I couldn't stay this way. Unlike Catherine, whose ties to the mortal realm were long gone, I still had something, someone to return to. "Besides, you're lucky," She said, in an attempt to comfort. "Sometimes it takes up to a week for us to find a turned soul, but by then things can get... ugly."

"What do you mean, ugly?" I asked, though I had a feeling she meant exactly what I thought she meant.

"They lose their minds," she explained, "become so far gone that we have no choice but to put them out of their misery. Plenty of them we never even find. Goodness knows what happens to those ones." A shiver ran down my spine, as I realized now that my nightmares were not simply nightmares, but shadowy omens of a far crueler fate. "But you don't have to worry about that," Catherine added quickly, noticing my uneasiness. "You're with us now. You'll be fine." I nodded silently, and she seemed satisfied by that. Catherine sighed.

"Well, now that I've already dampened the mood, might as well continue." She grumbled, shifting into a mockingly pleasant tone as she continued. "The Council would like me to inform you that any and all unnecessary trips outside the realm are prohibited for all non scythe wielding employees, for reasons which are, of course, totally unrelated to the continuing disappearance of reapers travelling outside the realm." I opened my mouth, about to ask her which reapers had gone missing, but immediately shut it. If she hadn't mentioned it already, they were likely all safe, at least for the time being.

"Stupid old men, think we can't tell when they're trying to cover their asses." Catherine muttered bitterly under her breath. "Whatever. It's Collections' problem now, not ours." She opened a door labeled 'General Affairs Department', and we walked in. It was considerably less grand than the Collections Department, but neat and spotless all the same, reminding me much of normal offices in my own world. The most notable difference however, was that the workers were almost all female, and unlike when William had taken me to the Collections Department, there were _a lot_ of them.

We waded through the crowd to the nearest open counter, and were greeted cheerfully by the dark haired girl I recognized from days before. "Has the uniform I ordered come in yet Thea?" Catherine asked.

"Yeah, I think Alice has it. I'll go get it." Thea did a double take as she left, . She returned moments later, a standard female uniform in hand. "Here." She said, handing it to Catherine.

"Thanks Thea. By the way, has my brother dropped by at all today?" Catherine asked. Thea shrugged.

"Not that I know of." She replied. "Why?"

"Doesn't matter." Catherine shook her head. "I just wanted to talk to him that's all." Thea frowned, an expression that seemed painfully out of place on her, but said nothing. "Anyways, we should get going. Newbie's gotta get changed, and then I'm gonna show her around the office." Thea perked up again.

"Have a nice day then." She said, sending us off with a wave.

"You to." Catherine said, giving her a short wave over her shoulder as we left.

I once again found myself a spectacle. This time though, I just another oddity, a sore thumb sticking out of the crowd. It wasn't much different than what I was used to in my own world. I had always had trouble fitting in, and no matter what I did, I'd always be one step away from that seemingly unattainable normal. One, tantalizing, step.

"Ignore them." Catherine said, nudging my arm. "They'll always find something to look at."

I looked up at her, her words grabbing me. Not because of what they were- I'd heard them many times, said about as sincerely as the grape flavour in grape soda was real, but because there was a sureness in her voice that told me this was something she knew to be fact. So many years she'd spent observing, watching the world at work, perhaps it was time I started believing it too. She smiled at me reassuring, and this time I smiled back. It wasn't much, but it was something, and for the first time in a long time it felt right. "Yeah," I said. "You're right."

Catherine took me to her office, a small room tucked away by the crook of a corner. She flicked the lights on, and I had to consciously keep my jaw from dropping open. Two desks were crammed into the small room, which contained no windows besides the one on the door. Filing cabinets lined the far wall, leaving barely enough space for one person to wiggle through. One of the desks was decorated with a potted plant and several ornaments in a futile attempt to liven up the place. The other, which I assumed was Catherine's, was covered in papers such that there would have been no room for decorations like that. Catherine it seemed, had no interest in such things. How anything got done in this dismal corner of the department, I found difficult to wrap my head around.

"Glamorous, I know." She said, her sarcasm less subtle than a tank. "I share it with someone else, but they're out right now. You can use it to get changed. Just don't forget to close to blinds. I'll make sure no one walks in on ya." There was a click as she closed the door behind her. I reached for the shutter on the blinds, and immediately ducked out of sight, heart racing at speeds that would surely be fatal for a mortal human. Ronald was standing there, just beyond the door, and of all the things I could change, my presence, which he would instantly recognize, was not one of them. William had warned me against resuming contact with his reapers for this specific reason. But besides a brief glance through the window, it seemed he did not know I was there. Not yet at least.

I watched through the half closed blinds as they talked, their voices, though muffled carried into the office.

"Thea told me you wanted to talk. What's up?" I heard Ronald say.

"Are you… doing okay, Ron?" Catherine frowned, biting her lip.

"I'm fine. Stop worrying, okay?" Ronald sounded mildly irritated, as though this were a conversation they'd had many times before.

"No, you're not." She snapped back, her concern quickly turning to anger. "Thea is worried sick about you. Don't you dare give me that crap."

"Thea worries a lot. I'm fine, seriously." Ronald insisted.

"Yeah, being around someone like you, of course she does." Catherine retorted, jabbing her finger upwards towards his face. "Look." She said with a sigh, her voice returning back to a gentle tone. "I know you. What happened to Eliza isn't something you'd get over so quickly. If you won't talk to me, at least talk to Thea. She cares about you, you know?"

"I… I know she does." Ronald mumbled, his voice almost too quiet for me to hear behind the door.

"Then let her help…" There was a pause.

"Cath?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you… do you think she'll come back?"

"I don't know." Catherine closed her eyes and shook her head, her somber expression saying otherwise. She was softening it, the truth she didn't want to tell him. "Even if she did, she wouldn't be able to come back here, and by now… I dunno Ron, it doesn't look good."

"I see…" He said, the sound of his voice telling me he saw through it all too well. After a short pause he spoke again. "Well, I've gotta go… pick up my scythe from repairs."

"Repairs? What the hell did you do to it?"

"Demons okay. You'd understand if-" Catherine shot him a scathing glare. "Nevermind, I'm just gonna go now." And so he did. Catherine rolled her eyes, and knocked on the door.

"Hey, rookie. You done?" She called.

"Uhhh, yeah just give me a second." I said, throwing on the uniform quicker than I had ever put on anything in my life. Guilt gnawed away at me as I did so, telling me every time it sunk its teeth into my stomach that I'd heard something I was never meant to hear. I didn't know what would be harder now, keeping them from finding out, or holding back from telling them myself. Taking a deep breath, I opened the door.

"Took your time. Let's go."

"Good afternoon Ms. Knox." Catherine whirled around at the sound of Williams voice, narrowing her eyebrows as their eyes met. I froze on the spot, having not expected him to make contact with me so soon after arriving. "I'm afraid I'll be needing to borrow your new recruit for a moment, that is, if you have no objections of course." He said, his statement more a demand, than a request.

"Right, and I'll just hand her over so you can terrorize her like you did to the last one." Catherine said sarcastically, folding her arms across her chest.

"It's standard procedure Ms. Knox." He tilted his head downwards, glasses glinting menacingly. "I could write you up if that is what you wish." Catherine scowled, looking as though she were using all her might to prevent some extremely unrefined language from spilling out of her mouth. They stared at each other this way for an amount of time that made me slightly uncomfortable, not due to awkwardness, but rather the feeling that I might drop dead again just watching them.

"Fine." Catherine responded tersely, the tension in her answer tighter than twisted rope.

"If you don't mind, I would like to borrow your office."

"Do what you want." She snapped. "Not like I have a choice anyways." And with that she stormed off.

"Honestly." He said, adjusting his glasses with his scythe. "Even her brother has more charm."

"So… her and Ronald, they're really siblings?" I asked once we were inside the office, unsure of what else to say to him. This was after all, the man that had both openly resented me, and risked everything to ensure my safe return. Was there really a right way to open a conversation in such a situation?

"Yes, though tragically neither of them knew each other for long as mortals. Catherine died of a respiratory illness when Ronald was only seven." William explained. "We have more pressing matters to attend to, however." He parted the blinds, looking out to ensure we were not being listened upon. "I would normally use my own office for matters such as this, but it seems as though the Council no longer trusts me as they once did, and are keeping tabs on me. This may be our only chance to meet." He turned to face me, and our eyes met. Something had changed in his since talking to Catherine, as though a switch had been flipped. I looked away quickly, prompted by the realization I'd been staring.

"Are you… adjusting well?" His question came out oddly, as though he wasn't quite sure of the tone he was supposed to use.

"Huh?" Was the automatic response that popped out of my mouth, my brain seemingly unable to comprehend him asking such a thing. "Oh, um, yeah. I'm fine, though still getting used to all… this." It suddenly dawned upon me why our conversation felt so weird. This was the first time we'd had anything close to a normal conversation, and while it was strange, I kind of liked being able to talk like this.

"I thought, perhaps three days would stretch your limit, but I am… glad to hear that." William adjusted his glasses again as it seemed he often did. "But, moving on," He said, resuming his usual, more official tone. "I have received important information regarding your physical body. It is being held in the Research and Development Department, un-deteriorated in the conditions of our realm it seems. However, I strongly advise you do not procure it quite yet."

Before I had the chance to respond, a sudden, gut-twisting feeling overwhelmed me. I doubled over, feeling as though I might be sick. My thoughts shouted at me chaotically, overlapping with one another in an incoherent mess, but all in terror.

"Eliza?" I heard William's voice, but it sounded as though I was hearing it through several thick layers of cotton. The sensation of that creature's frigid touch returned to me, as though its ice-cold hand was pressed against my face. I was overcome with the desire to run, but it seemed my legs wouldn't do what they were told. I had felt this way only once before, as the memory eaters crept out of the alleyway that cold night in the graveyard. They were here. How, I didn't know, but it should have been impossible.

All at once everything went completely silent. The pounding in my ear, William's voice, all gone. Then that's when I heard it, a scream pure and unimpeded by all, echoing eternally in the empty air.


End file.
